Brotherly Love
by cecania13
Summary: A look at Fili and Kili when they were young and how Thorin handles young dwarf fights. Or rather how he handles young dwarves in general. Will probably be a collection of small stories from when Fili and Kili were young.
1. Night and Day

Long before he got to the house, Thorin could hear the noise. The house he shared with his sister was set back and away from the colony that had begun to grow in the Blue Mountains. Many, when they first arrived to join the others, thought that it was because they were the last of King Thror's line, that as royalty they couldn't be living alongside the common folk. It only took a single morning for them to realise this wasn't the case at all.

This wasn't even the first house they had lived in. At first, they had lived much closer to the centre of the small village, near the people who had followed them here. They had wandered the wilds for so long that they were all a family now and space wasn't a thing they understood. He had watched as his sister had found a male worthy of being her husband and rejoiced with her when her first son had been born.

Fíli had been an even tempered child, always willing to please even as a baby. He was easy to settle and hadn't been bothered by the bustle of the dwarves around him making new homes for themselves. He had been content to sleep away the hours in the arms of his family, waking only to make adorable noises at whoever happened to be holding him. He had the blue eyes of Durin's line, the colour as clear as the finest sapphires found deep within Erebor. The blonde hair was different though, a gift from his father since Dís was as dark haired as Thorin. But he was treasured greatly, not only because he was family, but because he was more proof that the line of Durin would continue.

Five years passed with Fíli growing into a fine young dwarf who played well with the other children and was always willing to help. He would fetch rags for his uncle to wipe his brow while he was forging or water for him to drink. Granted, the rag was usually dirty and the cup nearly empty by the time either reached him, but Thorin never once complained about the help. Fíli was his sister-son and was more important to him than he could ever say aloud.

Then his sister had blessed their family with another son, Kíli, and everyone had swiftly realised that this baby was not like his brother. From the moment his dark eyes had blinked open, Thorin had sworn that there was mischief in them. And Kíli had seemed bound and determined to prove his uncle right. He would wail unmercifully if someone wasn't holding him while he was awake and when he was being held if you weren't doing it properly, he would squirm until you nearly dropped him. The only person who seemed to be able to hold him perfectly turned out to be Fíli, but at five, the young dwarf couldn't hold his brother for long before he had to stop. Which in turn made the baby howl even more.

Things only got worse once Kíli managed to get mobile. He was always underfoot, clinging to boots and ankles and squealing in delight as he was dragged across the floor by the one he was holding. He had started hiding things, taking spoons from the table and stuffing them under cushions or shoving cleaning rags into Dís' vases. But no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't stay mad at the boy. He would plop down on the floor and stare up at you with his big dark eyes. Even Thorin, who had sworn he wasn't going to pamper the boys, couldn't stay mad at him when Kíli gave him that look. The young dwarf had mastered it quickly and it was a good thing too because he wouldn't have lasted long if he hadn't.

Everyone had hoped that because the two boys were such polar opposites of one another, they would balance each other out. And they did to a degree. As Kíli got older, he wanted to be more like his brother, but the older Fíli got, the more mischief the two of them got into together. The two were inseparable now, sharing a room and all of their play adventures. But while they were usually as close as brothers could be, every now and then, one of them rubbed the other the wrong way.

Their first spat had caught everyone by surprise and it had taken a long moment for the adults to realise that the play fight wasn't play anymore. Thorin had grabbed Fíli and Dís had snatched up Kíli, but the two dwarflings had squirmed and struggled, trying to get back at one another. When asked, neither of them could remember what had started the fight and the threat of separating them had resolved it quickly. But the fights still happened between them and were the real reason the royal family had built a house a little apart from the others.

Lengthening his stride as the noise became loud enough for him to make out the high pitched shouts, Thorin wondered what had set them off this time. It was still early in the morning. They couldn't have been up for long and probably hadn't even finished breakfast. He had been called away in the night to help fix a bridge that had collapsed and coming home to a fight was not what he wanted.

The door slammed into the wall as he thrust it open and it made the two dwarves jump in fright. Two pairs of eyes swung to look at him and two lower lips quivered. "That isn't going to work," he told them sternly. "You're ten and five now. You're too old to be bickering like this. I don't care what was said-"

"Fíli said I'll always be short!" Kíli blurted, his voice still loud.

"You're a dwarf!" Fíli threw back at him. "You're supposed to be short!"

Thorin gave a growling sigh. This was really what they were fighting about? "Dwarves are not short," he told both of them. "We are the perfect size and everyone else is wrong."

Kíli's lower lip was working overtime as it started quivering again. "I'm always going to be small?" he whispered.

Apparently his height had become a sensitive thing for the young dwarf. Yes, he was smaller than Fíli had been at that age, but he was still only five. "Fíli is five years older than you, Kíli. You can't compare yourself to him. One day, you'll be as tall as him."

Kíli sniffed and looked at him with watery eyes. "Promise?"

It wasn't something he should promise, but those of the House of Durin were usually taller than the average dwarf. Kíli would have a growth spurt soon enough, but he would likely forget this matter before the day was over. "Perhaps you'll even be taller than him."

Kíli's eyes got big and Fíli puffed up. "He will not! He's my little brother and he's supposed to be littler than me!"

Sensing another argument, Thorin growled at both of them and it made them both freeze. "Both of you are going to stay little if you don't stop fighting."

They stared at him. "What do you mean?" they asked together.

"Family is supposed to work together, not fight with one another like this. If you do, you'll both stay the size you are now and never grow."

Shrill cries left both of them and they grabbed onto one another. "We never fight again!" Kíli cried.

"Promise, Uncle Throin! We'll be good!"

Thorin wanted to believe them, but they had promised before and forgotten as soon as one of them made the other mad. "Good," he still said. "Now, I'm hungry and it smells like your mother is making breakfast. If you're both good and eat properly, I'll tell you a story."

The squeals that left them were happy this time and tugged a rare smile from Thorin as they raced over to hug his legs before running off to find their mother. The fights would continue between the boys, but Thorin hoped it stayed at this silly level and never became more than that. Because family was more important than they realised yet and once you lost them, they never came back.


	2. Headaches

"It won't be for long, brother," Dís said as she pulled on her coat. "No more than half of an hour."

Thorin nodded, but he wasn't looking forward to this. He loved his sister-sons, but the games they played? They left him aching more than any battle he had fought in his life. Combined.

"They'll probably want more stories. They loved Balin's visit last night and were asking when he could come over again to tell them more."

Because the older dwarf had a knack for it. Even Thorin could get caught up in his tales sometimes, but it brought bittersweet memories with them. He could remember growing up in the halls Balin spoke of. He could remember playing with his brother in their family chambers and having to run around a little slower so Dís wouldn't feel left out. He could remember it all and knew that his sister-sons should have been running in those same halls. Not this little stone cottage that they called home.

Dís cupped his cheek and gave him a smile. "It's hard to hear," she said quietly, knowing his thoughts, "but it is good for them to learn this history, our history."

He knew that and he knew that it should be him teaching it to them. But he kept avoiding it. His sister-sons were still so little and innocent of the horrors that haunted the world. Horrors which tainted his memories and made it nearly impossible to remember the good he had experienced in life.

"You could always tell them about the time you and Frerin got stuck in the well outside of Dale."

Thorin growled at the reminder of the misadventure. "How do you even know about that?" he demanded. "You were a babe when it happened."

"Grandfather told me the story one night when I couldn't sleep. I had the most amusing dreams afterwards, mainly of the pair of you getting stuck again."

He growled at her again. "Be gone, sister. I'll look after your sons."

She smiled and stood on her toes to touch her forehead to his. "Thank you, brother."

He closed his eyes to savour the contact before he broke it and she went to the door. "Half an hour?"

"Yes, Thorin."

As the door closed behind her, he glanced at the hallway that led to the bedrooms. It was a little after midday and the boys had been napping for about an hour. If he was lucky, they would stay asleep while their mother was out. If he wasn't, the house could be destroyed by the time Dís got back.

Settling in a chair before the hearth, he picked up the carving he had been working on for the past few weeks. It was a present for Fíli's upcoming birthday. The boy would soon be eleven and it was high time he began his training in combat. Thorin had spent the past year deciding where to focus the young dwarf's talents. He would be trained with swords, axes and hammers like every dwarf was, but Thorin had noticed that Fíli was equally skilled with both hands. Many dwarves were, but his sister-son's talent seemed more refined and would work perfectly with dual swords.

Once he had decided that, he had gone to the forests at the base of the Blue Mountains and found a massive oak. He was partial to the trees since he knew how strong the wood was and he had hewn branches thick enough to carve balanced weapons for a dwarven child. He had the basic carving of the first one finished and was almost done the second. They were perfectly matched and crafted to handle all of the abuse Fíli would put them through.

Studying the pommel, Thorin thought back to the first weapons his father had given him. The line of Durin had a family crest that could be used by any of the direct line, but each heir always had their own personal crest as well. Generally it was designed by the father of the child, but Fíli's father had been claimed in a tragic accident only a few months ago. As the boy's closest male relative, it was his duty to design it.

Both boys already had a personal symbol designed by Dís which was worked into their toys and clothes to identify what was theirs and who they were in the clan. But the crest was different. It was a mark of Fíli's place as an heir to the throne of Erebor and would be present on every weapon that he ever owned. It had to suit the boy now and the adult he would become.

Hearing giggles, Thorin realised that he wouldn't be able to figure one out now. If they were giggling, it meant they were both fully awake and ready to play. He tucked the sword back in the chest beside his chair and locked it. He wasn't going to let either curious boy ruin the surprise of this present.

A sense of alarm rang through him when the giggles suddenly ceased. Quiet, where Fíli and Kíli were concerned was not a good thing. Pushing out of his chair, he'd only taken two steps before a high pitched wail filled the house.

Running to the room the boys shared, he flung open the door and demanded, "What happened?"

Two pairs of watery eyes looked up at him and he noticed a couple things. First, a large bruise was now forming on Fíli's forehead and second, Kíli's nose was bleeding.

"What happened?" Thorin asked again, kneeling before the pair.

"Didn't mean to!" they said together.

"What didn't you mean to do?" he asked, pulling a rag from his pocket to press to Kíli's nose and brushing Fíli's bangs back to see his forehead.

"Balin told us," Fíli said.

Sighing, Thorin said, "Told you what?"

"How to say hello," Kíli said, his voice muffled slightly by the cloth.

He frowned before nearly groaning. "You head butted your brother?" he asked, the damage making sense now.

Fíli nodded before clutching his head as it no doubt throbbed.

He nearly sighed again. His father had survived raising two sons so surely he and Frerin hadn't been this bad. How could these two be this bad? "It's a greeting between brothers who haven't seen each other in a while," he said, checking Kíli's nose and reapplying the cloth when he saw it was still bleeding.

"Nap was long!" the younger brother protested.

Childish logic was beyond him. "You can't just head butt one another. You're just going to keep getting hurt."

Fíli's lower lip pushed out and he was sure Kíli's was as well under the cloth.

He traced the edges of Fíli's bruise, wondering how hard he had hit the other. "When you're older, you can do it. You're just going to break your skulls or noses if you keep at it now."

Kíli blinked big eyes at him and pressed both hands to the rag covering the lower half of his face. "Fíwi broke it?" he whispered, resorting to his old name for his brother in his fear.

"Not this time," Thorin assured him. "But he could next time."

They both fell quiet for a moment before Fíli said, "Uncle Thorin?"

"Yes?" he asked, trying to pull the cloth Kíli was clutching away from his nose.

"How do we say hello then?"

_Besides the verbal way?_ "You already know how," he told them. "You do it with your mother."  
Fíli frowned and Kíli's dark brows drew together. "How?" they asked.

Leaning down he gently pressed his brow to Kíli's. "It isn't just hello," he said, carefully doing it with Fíli so as not to touch the forming bruise. "It's about taking comfort and strength from having your family with you. It's about the deep love you have for them and reminder of how important they are to you."

Both boys were staring at him, their eyes large.

Thorin wasn't surprised when Kíli dropped the rag and held out his hands. Scooping him up, he was surprised when those little hands pressed to his cheeks and the young dwarf carefully touched his forehead to Thorin's. "Love you," Kíli said, his young voice sweet and innocent.

His heart squeezed as he shifted the boy to one arm and picked up Fíli when he pouted at being left out. "I love you both as well," he said as Kíli cuddled under his chin.

Fíli gave him a smile before repeating the gesture. "Ow," he whined, pulling back and making a face as he clutched his head.

Thorin chuckled. "Come on," he said, standing. "We need to put something on your bruise and wash off the blood on Kíli's face before your mother gets home."

Fíli nodded carefully and Kíli simply cuddled closer. Maybe, if he was lucky this time, the pair of them would be content to just listen to stories like Dís had said, now that they had hurt themselves.

He set them down on the counter and wet a cloth from a nearby water jug. In the few seconds his back was turned, he heard them start whispering to one another and sighed. Today was not going to be his day.

A/N: Well, I managed to write a second chapter for this while I was at work and I think it's going to become a thing. Get stressed out at work - write young Kili and Fili stories to make myself feel better. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited, followed and hell, _read_ the story. I love and appreciate all of you for doing it and I hope you enjoyed the second chapter as much as the first!


	3. Apples, Accidents and Apologies

Staring at the cover on the well, Thorin knew he had no other choice. There had been too many early spring cold snaps and they had shattered the metal latches on the cover. It would normally be a simple fix, but the wood hadn't fared much better in the cold. The whole thing needed to be replaced immediately.

Childish giggles sounded behind him and he turned to see Fíli chasing his brother across the grass. Kíli's little limbs were pumping as fast as he could, but the older dwarf was gaining on him. A short squeal was all that preceded the tackle that sent both dwarf tots tumbling to the ground. As soon as more giggles came, Thorin knew they were both fine.

Looking back at the well, it was obvious he needed to fix it now. His nephews had the extremely bad habit of winding up where they shouldn't be and it was only a matter of time before one of them discovered the well was unlocked. To make matters worse, Dís had had a nightmare about them getting stuck at the bottom. It had been a long time since he had seen his sister that distraught and he had promised to look at it right away.

He hadn't expected it to be this bad though.

Something tugged at his trousers and a glance showed Kíli standing beside him. The dwarfling gave him a sweet smile and held out his hands. "Not right now, Kíli," he said gently. If he picked the boy up, he wouldn't get anything else done out here.

His lower lip pushed out and he held his hands a little higher, his fingers curling in a grasping motion

Looking across the grass, he saw Fíli was playing with his wooden swords and that explained why Kíli wasn't with him. Despite warnings both uncle and mother, the tot had tried to play with Fíli when he had been 'practicing'. It had only taken Fíli accidently hitting Kíli once for it to really sink in. Since then, the younger brother sat a safe distance away and watched the lessons.

"Unka!" Kíli pleaded, his eyes getting teary.

They were supposed to be teaching his younger nephew he couldn't always get what he wanted with tears and pouts. But it was nearly impossible to do because he was only six and already too good at it.

"Only for a little bit," Thorin conceded, scoping the boy up.

Kíli giggled and buried his face in Thorin's hair.

Sitting on the edge of the well, he watched Fíli hack at the air. He hadn't given his nephew many lessons and even those were mostly on stance and how to hold his swords. For now it was okay to let him flail madly. It got him used to holding them. But he had to shake his head at Fíli's exuberance. The boy had more energy than was natural.

"Appa?" Kíli asked suddenly.

Thorin frowned. Kíli's habit of falling into baby talk when he wanted something made it difficult to understand what he actually wanted. "I don't know what an 'appa' is," he said patiently.

The boy stood on Thorin's thighs and pointed at a tree. "Appa?"

Following the small finger, he shook his head. "The apples aren't ready yet." The fruit from that tree was never really ready. They were always small, hard and ridiculously tart. It was like some of the dwarven bitterness had bled into the fruit and served as a reminder that this wasn't their true home. Thorin had enough reminders as it was and didn't like the apples at all.

Kíli pouted but was quickly distracted by a new voice.

"What fell beast are you slaying today, laddie?"

Both boys squealed and rushed Balin, abandoning both swords and uncle, as he stepped around the house. "Granpa Balin!"

Thorin's lips twitched at the title. He didn't know when they had decided to call Balin that, but he knew why. The dwarf lord was the closest thing they had to a grandfather since their real ones were no longer walking Middle Earth. Balin was often at the house to discuss matters with Thorin and was nearly as much of a constant in their lives as their mother and uncle. Both boys would cling to his legs until Balin gave in and told them a story. Some grand dwarven adventure that had them starry eyed for hours afterwards. Once the boys were a little older, Balin would be the one that would help Dís teach them everything they would need to know about being heirs of Durin and of being respectable members of the dwarven community.

Thorin also suspected that since neither Balin nor his brother had children of their own, he welcomed the title and saw them as close family rather than the distant ones they really were.

"Let me talk to your uncle for a moment and then we'll see about a story," Balin told them as they practically danced around him.

Two pairs of bright eyes looked at Thorin as if he was in the way of their story when he hadn't moved or said anything.

"Just a few minutes, laddies. Promise."

"Okay," Fíli agreed, scuffing his boot while Kíli pouted.

"What is it, Balin?" Thorin asked as he patted the boys' heads and headed over to him.

"A new caravan arrived earlier today and some of them are looking to settle here."

A small sigh left Thorin. Even now, dwarves from Erebor were still trying to rebuild their lives. "Find out how many and who can house them until accommodations can be built."

"Of course." Balin paused as a shriek left one of the boys followed by giggles. "Did Dís leave you in charge of them today?"

"I'm supposed to be rebuilding the well cover and they came out after. She's probably making lunch and doesn't want to deal with them."

Balin chuckled. "Aye, they are a handful, but most dwarven boys are."

Thorin snorted. "Not like them."

Another chuckle. "What's wrong with the well?"

Looking over at the boys, Thorin saw they were investigating something near the fence. Standing, he showed Balin the damage winter had done.

"Shame," he murmured. "Rebuilding the whole thing is going to take a bit and with the lads…."

He didn't have time to spare. The days were growing longer and warmer which meant the boys wanted to be outside. The garden behind the house was fenced to keep them contained, but the well was a problem. If it had been dry, it wouldn't have been as big of a rush, but the water at the bottom was a serious issue. A dwarf child would survive a tumble down, but they were not built for swimming and would drown.

Thorin shuddered at the cold feeling of that thought. No. He would keep them safe even from this simple harm.

"Bofur came with the caravan," Balin said suddenly. "I'll see if I can find him to help."

That would make things easier. The toy-maker was incredibly skilled at crafting and would be able to quickly fashion hinges and latches to get the well properly locked up again. He might even have something made already that would work. "Do it."

Balin nodded. "I'll come back with him and keep the lads entertained while you finish up."

Proof again that Balin really didn't mind being called 'granpa' by them. But speaking of lads, they had grown too quiet. As Balin left, Thorin looked over to where he had last seen the boys and a bad feeling gripped him. Kíli was nowhere in sight. But his brother was standing at the base of the apple tree and looking up into the branches with wide eyes. The bad feeling turned to dread and made his voice louder than he had wanted it to be as he snapped, "Where's your brother?!"

Fíli jumped in fright, big eyes looking at him, and he heard a squeak come from the tree.

Thorin's heart hit his stomach when too much rustling came from the tree and he bolted towards it.

"Kíli!"

Fíli's panicked cry confirmed his fears and he barely made it as a limp shape tumbled out of the branches. Catching his nephew, Thorin was torn between anger and concern as the tot didn't stir. "I can't take my eyes off of you for a second," he whispered, turning Kíli over so he could see his face.

"Kíli!"

"Go inside, Fíli," Thorin told the distraught boy, checking his brother over. "He'll be okay. Go inside."

Teary blue eyes stared at him and Thorin saw so much in his gaze. Fear for his brother, hope that his uncle would be able to fix everything and something else under it all. Guilt. "Uncle Thorin?"

Running his hand over Fíli's hair, he said, "Go inside and find your mother. I'll be right there with your brother."

Fíli glanced at his unconscious brother hesitantly, but he ran to the house when Kíli didn't stir.

Thorin gently cradled the boy to him, looking him over before he took him inside. His heart was beating strongly under Thorin's palm and he was breathing fine. The only mark on him was a red welt on his forehead that suggested he had hit his head on the way down. "You're going to kill me before my time, Kíli," he murmured, moving toward the house.

Dís was in the door when he got there, her own blue eyes dark with concern. "Fíli said he was dying."

Looking at the boy who was clutching his mother's skirt in fright, Thorin sighed. "He fell out of the tree and hit his head," he corrected.

"What was he doing in the tree?" she asked, fussing over her youngest but not taking him from Thorin.

"Probably trying to get an apple."

She frowned. "They aren't even ripe!"

"He's six, Dís. I don't think he cares."

Clucking her tongue, she looked down at Fíli. "You go up with your uncle," she told him gently. "I'll bring some ice in a few minutes."

Fíli nodded shyly and slowly let go of her skirts.

Thorin met his sister's gaze and knew she expected him to have a talk with his nephew. Clearly she had seen the same thing in his eyes that Thorin had. Carrying Kíli to the room he shared with his brother, he heard Fíli's soft steps behind him. He considered the room for a moment before moving to Fíli's bed to tuck his nephew in.

"Uncle Thorin?" Fíli asked in a small voice.

He sat in the chair beside the bed and looked over. The boy was still in the doorway, twisting his fingers together. "Come here, Fíli," he said quietly.

The dwarfling didn't look up as he crossed the stone floor.

"You knew what your brother was doing was wrong, didn't you?"

Fíli nodded.

"But you didn't stop him."

Fíli sniffed softly. "My fault, Uncle?"

Reaching down, he lifted his nephew's chin and took in how miserable he looked. "No, Fíli," Thorin said gently. "It isn't your fault."

"But he got hurt!"

_Because I startled you both._ "Yes, he did because he's young and curious and doesn't know better. As his older brother, you have to teach him."

"He doesn't listen!" Fíli insisted, his blue eyes frustrated.

"Not always," Thorin agreed, "but he does listen to you. Because you're his older brother."

Fíli glanced at the bed and his lower lip quivered.

"Being an older brother is hard, especially when you have a younger brother who charges in without thinking. It's also hard because sometimes you have to say no to them and stick by it."

Horrified eyes turned back to him. "Can't say no to Kíli! He won't let me!"

"You have to," Thorin said firmly, "or he'll keep getting hurt like this."

Little blond brows drew together as Fíli absorbed that. "I have to keep him safe?"

"Yes. Sometimes it will be difficult, nearly impossible because Kíli is as stubborn as any adult dwarf, but you have one advantage over him." Thorin paused to ensure he had Fíli's full attention. "He loves you."

"I love him too!"

Thorin smiled at the quick cry and picked Fíli up to settle in his lap. "And that is your advantage. Kíli will always love you and look up to you, even if you say no to him. He will pout and cry and try to change your mind. He might even say he hates you."

Fíli gasped, horror back on his face.

"The first time he says it, it will hurt and be hard to remember you're doing it to help him. But you have to always remember that he does love you. He will always love you."

Fíli chewed on his lips and squirmed slightly. "Hard, Uncle," he mumbled.

"I know, Fíli. Believe me, I know." Frerin hadn't been as bad as Kíli, but his little brother had gotten them into their fair share of trouble. And Thrain had given him this same talk the first time Frerin had gotten hurt because Thorin hadn't stopped him. "But you have to do it."

"Because I love him and I'm big brother."

"Yes."

"Uncle help?" he asked, looking up with big, pleading eyes.

"Yes, Fíli, but when you're older, you won't need help."

The boy looked at his brother and the serious expression on his face nearly made Thorin laugh.

"It doesn't mean you have to say no all the time, Fíli," he clarified. "You can still play and have fun, but you need to think about what you're doing. If you think one of you is going to get hurt or in trouble, you have to say no."

"I try, Uncle," Fíli promised. "I try hard and keep Kíli safe."

_And I'll do my part to keep you both safe,_ Thorin promised silently. "Good," he said, kissing the top of Fíli's head.

"Owie!"

They both looked at the bed at Kíli's whimper and saw him pressing his hands to his head. "Kíli!" Fíli cried.

Thorin kept Fíli from leaping on his brother. "Easy, Fíli," he said quietly. "He's hurt remember?"

"Fiwi?" Kíli mumbled, blinking dazedly.

"Right here," Fíli said quickly, carefully crawling onto the bed beside him. "Right here."

Watching as Fíli patted his brother's chest, Thorin felt his own ache. He had had a different relationship with Frerin than these two had, but when they had been young they had gotten into similar trouble. The fact that Frerin had been killed well before his time weighed on Thorin every day since it had happened. His brother should have been here, should have been helping with Dís' sons. Fíli and Kíli should have known their other uncle, should have known a lot of their family that they didn't.

"Fiwi, owie," Kíli pouted, pointing at his head.

"I know. No more climbing trees, Kíli. Not 'til we're bigger."

"But appas!"

"Will fall when they're ready. Or uncle will get them for us," Fíli said, looking at Thorin with a smile.

Kíli's dark eyes looked over shyly and he blushed as he met Thorin's gaze.

"I told you the apples weren't ready yet," he said quietly.

"I know…."

"I wasn't trying to be mean, Kíli. They aren't ready to be eaten."

"I sowwy, Unka," he whispered, his voice teary.

Moving to sit on the bed, Thorin gently placed his hand on Kíli's chest, over Fíli's. "I know you are and I'm sorry I startled you, but you scared me," he said honestly.

Two pairs of big eyes stared at him. "Uncle gets scared?" Fíli whispered.

"Yes, I can get scared," he admitted. "And nothing scares me more than you two getting hurt when you shouldn't be."

"We be careful, Uncle," Fíli promised. "We won't scare you."

Yes, they would. They were dwarfling males who were curious about the world and had all the confidence that came naturally to those of Durin's line. But he would make sure that they were well equipped to survive the world.

Hearing Dís come into the room, Thorin pulled away to allow her to come to the bed. When she touched his arm, he glanced at her.

"Balin and Bofur are here," she said quietly.

He nodded and left the room. He would fix the well so his sister-sons would be safe. He owed Dís, and the family that was no longer here, that much and he would see them always safe. No matter the cost.

A/N: I'm so sorry I left this for so long! I had another story that consumed my attention, but to make up for it I tried to write a longer chapter for you all! I hope you liked it and thank you, thank you to every one of you that has read, reviewed, followed, favourited and all that jazz! I love you and love hearing from you! Hopefully it won't take me too long to get the next chapter up because I've already got an idea for it!


	4. The Well

Moving slowly on his hands and knees, Thorin kept his breathing quiet and controlled. Even though he had lived his entire life inside a mountain, the cramped space around him made him uncomfortable. Hearing his breaths echo in the small tunnel was not what he wanted. He was used to vaulted ceilings and all the space a dwarf could want. But the real reason he was quiet was so he could still hear the dwarf behind him and ensure he was following. He did not need him to stop or get lost.

"Almost there," he called over his shoulder, hoping the encouragement would help.

A mumbled agreement reached his ears and it made Thorin want to move faster. If he was tired already, it did not bode well for the rest of the day. But he could see light shining at the end of the tunnel and knew the effort would soon pay off.

He kept moving at a steady pace despite the eagerness pulsing through him until he reached the end. Blinking at the harsh sunlight that greeted him, he shaded his eyes and looked around. The tunnel opened in the side of the mountain with a drop underneath and nothing but clear blue skies overhead. It was exactly as Balin had said, which meant that the lip had to be here somewhere.

Feeling along the bottom edge of the tunnel, he smiled faintly as he felt the thick ridge he could hook his fingers into. He took a small breath and tried not to think about what he was going to do, instead just doing it. Forcing himself to roll out of the opening, Thorin felt the muscles in his arms tighten as he flipped over and only the strength of his upper body kept him from falling to the ground. His fingers dug into the grooves in the stone as he took a moment to appreciate the beauty of the land laid out in front of him before his body gave a protest at remaining in this position. Flexing his spine in an arch, he propelled himself away from the face of the mountain and dropped. Landing hard, he gritted his teeth against the pain that flared in his knees. Next time, he would wear padding on them to prevent this from happening again.

Brushing the dust from his tunic, he smiled to himself as he double checked he still had all of his things. Locating the tunnel hadn't been easy and getting into it had been even harder. But he had done it.

"Thorin?"

He looked up the side of the mountain and saw a head of dark hair sticking out of the tunnel's opening. "Come on, Frerin," he called. "You're almost there!"

His younger brother didn't look so sure. "It's really high."

Thorin surveyed the distance. Maybe it was high, but not _that_ high. "Frerin, you need to come down. We can't go back that way," Thorin said patiently.

"I can't!" his brother insisted.

Sighing, Thorin held up his hands. "Jump and I'll catch you!"

Frerin's dark eyes went wide and he shook his head frantically. "Jump?! I can't jump!"

"Course you can! It's easy!" Thorin said, smiling. "I'll catch you!"

Even though he could see it, he knew his brother was chewing his lower lip. It was what he did whenever he was nervous and Thorin could feel the nerves rolling off his brother from where he was standing.

"Frerin, have I ever dropped you?" he asked.

"…No."

"I'm not going to start now, little brother. Trust me."

Frerin hesitated before nodding. "Alright," he said shakily. "On three?"

Thorin smiled. "One," he called, bracing himself for what he knew was coming.

"Three!" Frerin shouted, throwing himself off the ledge.

Grunting as his brother's solid body slammed into him, Thorin couldn't keep them both up and they tumbled to the ground. "You forgot two," he pointed out after he had caught the breath Frerin had knocked out of him.

He giggled and hugged him. "Sorry!"

Thorin knew he wasn't, but he was used to it. Frerin always skipped two because three was more exciting according to his brother. Standing up, he set Frerin down and looked around again. "Come on," he said, holding out his hand. "Dale is this way."

"You sure?"

Thorin gave him a look and it made him giggle again.

"Why are we going to Dale?"

"Because we're princes of Erebor and we've never been before." And that wasn't right. Dale and Erebor were tightly bound to one another. His grandfather and father had been many times to the city and Girion, king of Dale, had come to Erebor several times in Thorin's life. It made no sense for Thorin to not have seen the city up close before. He had just turned twenty-five but he was constantly told he was too young when he asked to go. He wasn't too young. He had started his training in both weapons and politics years ago. He wasn't too young to see the city from within the city rather than through the stained glass of the windows of the mountain.

"Why doesn't Papa want us to go?"  
He had no idea. Relations between Erebor and Dale were perfect. There was no logical reason for keeping them away from the city. "I do not know."

Frerin made a quiet noise and his hand tightened on Thorin's. "Are we going to get Dís a present?" he asked, puffing slightly.

Slowing so his brother wasn't out of breath, Thorin thought about it. His baby sister wasn't as much fun to play with as Frerin, but his father said it was because she was so much younger than him. Thorin personally thought it was because she was a girl and they were such a rarity among their people that it made her different. People certainly fussed over her more than they had him or his brother. He still loved her because she was his sister, but he just didn't always know what to do with her. "Maybe. I don't know if there will be a good present for her in Dale."

"She likes shiny things," Frerin said helpfully.

Thorin chuckled. What dwarf didn't? "We will see, Frerin," he promised.

His brother gave him a bright smile and they continued down the old path. It was still early enough in the day that they would be able to see most of the city when they got there. Thorin had explored all of Erebor he was allowed to be in and a few places he wasn't supposed to know about. He wanted to explore Dale as well. He knew he wouldn't get to see all of it, especially with Frerin with him, but he wanted to take in as much as possible. Plus, maybe his grandfather and father would finally see he was old enough to go.

They had barely made it to the base of the mountain when Thorin knew they had a problem. Frerin had started dragging his feet and was leaning against his brother heavily. Even though Thorin had slowed down, his younger brother had still gotten tired quickly.

Sighing, Thorin stopped walking to look at his brother. "Do you need a break?"

Frerin nodded, his thick hair falling over his eyes as he kept them downcast.

Looking around, Thorin saw a rock pile that was the perfect height for a dwarfling to sit on. Picking Frerin up, he carried him over to the rocks. "We'll rest here for a few minutes."

"Sorry, Thorin," he mumbled, still not looking up.

He patted his brother's head. He wasn't too upset about it because it wasn't the first time it had happened and it wouldn't be the last. He hadn't planned on bringing Frerin though. Thorin had planned on sneaking out of the royal chambers to find the tunnel before his siblings were up. But his brother had a knack of knowing when he was going to do something and, sure enough, Frerin had caught him. Then the decision had become bring his brother and be slowed down or leave him and risk Frerin saying something.

"All ready, Thorin!"

Thorin threw him a look. "Not yet," he said patiently. "We can wait a couple more minutes."

His brother frowned, but didn't say anything because he knew Thorin wouldn't move on the issue. They hadn't been here long enough for Frerin to be rested yet and Thorin knew his desire to keep going was because he thought his older brother was mad at him. He wasn't. His little brother was smaller than him so he had to take breaks sooner and Thorin was used to it. He planned for it because there was no getting around it.

Looking around, Thorin couldn't help but marvel how different the land was. He had grown up with stone walls always around him, broken only by windows filled by coloured glass. They were still at the foot of the mountain, but here was the land he had always seen from a distance. A copse of trees stood nearby and their novelty was both enticing and frightening. He wanted to explore them as much as he did Dale. _Next time,_ he decided.

"T-Thorin?"

Startled at the fright in his brother's voice, his gaze jerked over and a gasp ripped from him. The rocks Frerin was sitting on were collapsing inward and taking his brother with them. "_Frerin!_" he yelled, leaping forward.

Frerin reached out to Thorin with both hands, his dark eyes wide and terrified. One hand closed around his little brother's wrist, but his relief was short lived. His foot came down on the rocks hard and punched through them. There was nothing but air underneath.

"Thorin!" Frerin screamed as the entire pile caved in.

Panic filled him as he felt himself toppling into the hole and he knew Frerin was falling too. Not letting go of his brother's wrist, Thorin jerked him closer and kept his little brother tight to his chest as they fell with the rocks. Gritting his teeth against the pain he knew was coming, he still cried out when his back struck the hard ground. He didn't have time to think about the pain flaring through him as he rolled so Frerin was under him and protected from the falling rocks. Covering his own head and neck, Thorin fought another cry as the rocks struck him. He didn't know how long it lasted but his legs were numb when they finally stopped.

"T-Thorin?" Frerin asked in a small voice.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, pushing up as much as he could to see his brother. He could still hear his father's lecture after Frerin had gotten hurt the last time and he was not going to forget it anytime soon.

"My head hurts a bit," he admitted.

Blinking quickly to adjust his eyes to the lack of light, Thorin saw a small gash on his forehead. A groan left him as he tried to roll off of his brother. He didn't get far and found that one leg was pinned under a pile of rocks. Not wanting to look at that yet, he stared upwards. He could see the blue sky overhead, but it was far away and not important. Coming back to the ground, he decided that nothing _felt_ broken, but his back was screaming in agony and his left foot was completely numb. Looking down, he stared at the rock and noticed the blood staining some of them.

"T-Thorin?"

Mustering a smile, he looked at his brother and tried not to let Frerin's fright seep into him. "It will be alright, Frerin," he promised, pushing himself up awkwardly and pausing when the pain became too much. "Come here and let me see your head."

His brother shuffled closer and let Thorin push his hair back.

Gently touching around the cut, he decided it was shallow and non-life threatening. Ripping a strip of fabric from his tunic, he gently wiped away the blood and gave Frerin anther smile. "You will be fine, brother," he said, running his hand over Frerin's hair. The simple braids in it had come loose in the fall and now its usual unruliness was taking over.

"What about you?" he asked, his voice still small.

Thorin wasn't sure. His back hurt, but he was more worried about his foot. "I need you to do something for me," he said, looking at his leg. "Can you move the rocks off of my foot?"

Frerin sniffed, nodding as he crawled over to the rocks. As he started to move them, Thorin had to grit his teeth. Pain flashed through him every time a rock shifted, but he didn't tell his brother to stop. He needed to see what damage had been done.

Both of them were sweating by the end, but Thorin still smiled at Frerin. "Good job," he said weakly.

Teary eyes looked at him. "Is it broken?" he whispered.

Thorin tried to move his foot and quickly decided against it. "Maybe," he said honestly, propping himself against the side of whatever they had fallen into.

"I'm sorry."

Blinking, he looked at his brother to see Frerin rubbing dirty hands against his eyes and sniffing again. "Don't cry," he said, holding out his arms. "Come here, Frerin."

His brother shuffled over to him again and curled up in his arms. "My fault, Thorin."

"It was my idea to go to Dale, Frerin. I chose to stop here."

"Because I was tired!"

Thorin kissed the top of his head and pulled him closer. "I'm not mad, Frerin," he murmured. "I don't blame you."

"You should."

"I don't. I'll be fine and we'll be home soon."

"How?" he wailed, small hands digging into Thorin's tunic.

He wasn't sure yet. They hadn't told anyone where they were going so it would be a while before the dwarves thought to look outside the walls of Erebor. "We're princes of Erebor, Frerin," he said quietly with more confidence than he felt. "We'll figure it out."

"How did they get out, Granpa Balin?" Fíli asked, his voice frightened.

Thorin opened his eyes. He was standing in the hallway outside his nephews' room, not in the dank dark of the abandoned well. He had come in to check on Kíli after finishing fixing the well with Bofur and heard Balin speaking. When he had realised what was happening, he had gotten caught up in the story and then lost in memories.

"The sides of that old well were not easy to scale and Frerin would not leave his brother injured like that. But those dwarves were smart. When it started to get cold, they lit a fire and the rescue party found them using the smoke."

"Oh," both boys chorused.

Thorin shook his head. Balin made it sound like it was a stroke of genius when it had been a desperate move. He had started to get delirious from pain and blood loss and it had been Frerin who had made the small fire pit. His brother had torn up his outer tunic to use as fuel before finding small pieces of wood that must have fallen in before the well was sealed. His baby brother had been the one who had gotten them saved and it wasn't something Thorin had ever forgotten.

He also hadn't forgotten the thorough tongue lashing he had gotten from both his father and grandfather for getting hurt over something foolish. They had approved of him keeping Frerin safe, but the damage done to his foot had left him in bed for a long time and he had been on the receiving end of several lectures. He also hadn't been allowed to go to Dale for another decade.

"Granpa Balin?"

"Yes, laddie?"

"Where Unka now?" Kíli asked.

Silence fell heavy and Thorin closed his eyes at the innocent question. It never failed to amaze how a simple question from a curious dwarfling could cause such pain.

"Ah, well, laddie, he's…." Balin faltered and Thorin took pity on him.

"I think you two have taken up enough of Balin's time," he said, stepping into the room.

Two pairs of big eyes swung to him and two lower lips pushed out.

Balin rose from his chair and smiled at the boys. "I'll be back soon enough, laddies. Don't you worry," he assured them.

Big sighs left them before giggles followed as Balin ruffled their hair. "Bye, Granpa Balin!"

"What else?" Thorin said sternly.

"Thank you!"

Balin smiled again. "You're more than welcome." Walking to the door, he paused beside Thorin. "I hope you don't mind. I told them a few others of our stories, but they wanted to hear about you when you were around their age and that means…."

Shaking his head, he said quietly, "They should know him."

"Aye, they should, but stories are all we have to give. Is the well fixed?"

Thorin nodded. With that memory filling his mind, he was glad he and Bofur had gotten it fixed. He never wanted to see his nephews hurt like he had been when they were still so young.

Balin clapped his shoulder. "I'll be off then."

Walking to the chair beside the bed, Thorin smiled faintly as his nephews whispered to one another. Kíli seemed his usual self despite his forehead's rude introduction to the tree limb and the guilt eating Fíli wasn't in his eyes anymore. But looking at them now, he could see his brother in them. It might have been because of the story that Balin had told, but it was there. Simple things, like the way Dís had started braiding Fíli's hair the same way their mother had Frerin's to keep the thick mass out of his face. Or the way that Kíli's hair refused to stay in the same braids as his brother's often had. It was there in the way that Fíli was always concerned about his little brother just as Frerin had always tried to make sure that both Thorin and Dís were well before looking after himself. Thorin was positive that the ghost of his brother had taught Kíli that ridiculously sweet look that begged a dwarf not to be mad at him because who could be upset with a dwarfling who had such heart breaking dark eyes?

"Unka?"

"Aye, Kíli?"

"Where other unka go?"

Bitterness tried to gnaw at his heart, but Thorin fought it off. It had no place here with his nephews. "He died, lad," he said quietly.

Those dark eyes that reminded him of his brother's blinked at him, clearly not understanding and Thorin was silently glad for that. Even though death had visited his nephews in their short lives, Kíli was still relatively untouched by it.

"He's with Papa," Fíli said, giving his brother a hug.

"Oh!"

Thorin smiled slightly. It was simple explanation that Kíli could understand, but a day would come when his innocent sister-sons would fully understand the pain and horror that had struck their family. Too many were gone who should have still been here.

"Uncle Thorin?"

His gaze moved to Fíli and he lifted a brow.

"Can you tell us a story?" he asked, making his brother wiggle excitedly beside him.

He smiled again. "What do you want to hear?"

"About you and Uncle Frerin?"

That made him pause. Normally, they asked him for stories of battles and adventuring dwarves. Stories of Erebor usually came from their mother because she had an easier time speaking of it than he did. Looking at the pair of them, he could see the same love and hero worship on their faces that had been on Frerin's when they had been young. Settling back in his chair, he tried to think of what he could tell them. He didn't often speak of his dead, the pain and guilt it brought too much for him to bear. But they needed to know the good memories of the kin they would never know.

"Unka?"

"Mm?"

"Did you get in twouble?"

Thorin chuckled. "Aye, Frerin and I got into trouble, but not as much as you and your brother."

Kíli puffed up his cheeks before giggling as Fíli patted his cheeks.

Watching them, Thorin knew he had to tell them these stories. He owed them that much and, hopefully, they wouldn't repeat the same mistakes that had befallen him.

* * *

A/N: oops! Forgot to throw this in here last night! The only thing I really wanted to add was ages because I feel like I should have put them in long ago for who old/young I'm writing this family.

In this particular story, young Thorin is twenty-five and Frerin would be twenty, which converts to about eight and six respectively. Might be a little more trouble than they would get into at that age, but I don't care. I see them as being as headstrong and stubborn as kids as Thorin is as an adult. For Fili and Kili, they're eleven and six which words out to roughly be 4 and 2ish I believe. Which also explains why I have such a hard time keeping their speech patterns consistent. Do I look at a two year old human child's vocabulary or do I use the fact that he's not actually two and have them talk older. Oi. The problems of a writer... Thank you to everyone who's read this and reviewed it already! You have no idea the smile it puts on my face to see that people like my stories!


	5. A Day of Celebration

"But, Mama!"

Glancing at the door as that wail filled the house, Thorin shook his head. Neither of his sister-sons were impressed with their mother and Dís was losing patience with her youngest. It was completely understandable though. For the past week, their village had been beset by heavy rains and it had trapped his nephews inside the entire time. No amount of wheedling had convinced his sister to allow the boys out in the rain, no matter how much they had driven the older dwarves insane. The last time they had been allowed out in poor weather they had both come down with colds that had kept them in bed for a week and Thorin and Dís would rather deal with whiny dwarflings than whiny, sick dwarflings.

Now the rains had stopped but Dís still wouldn't let them go outside. It was for an entirely different reason, however.

"Kíli, no! You cannot go outside today!"

Thorin didn't need to see his nephew to know the dwarfling was pouting. Kíli had woken up excited about the lack of rain, but his fun had been soured by his mother. Hearing his door push open, he looked to see Fíli peeking in. "What is it, lad?"

"Mama wants you to braid my hair, Uncle."

Probably because she had her hands full with Kíli. "Come here."

Fíli crossed the room, giggling as Thorin lifted him up into his lap. He sat still enough as Thorin gathered his hair, but his little legs were swinging through the air. "Uncle?"

"Yes, Fíli?"

"Why are we dressed up?"

Frowning at the suddenly subdued tone of his voice, Thorin said, "I know you want to play outside, Fíli, but we need to be somewhere today and we need to look our best."

Fíli fell silent. "Uncle?" he finally said.

"Mm?"

"Did someone die like Papa?" he asked in a small voice.

Thorin's hands froze. He suddenly realised that the last time Fíli had been dressed in his finery was when they had buried his father. Turning the boy to face him, he saw that Fíli was trying not to let his fear show, but his eyes were glassy. "No, Fíli," he said quietly, ashamed that no one had thought to tell his nephew what today was about. "Today is a day for celebration."

His head tipped to the side. "Why?"

"A dwarfling has been born." And it was such a rare occurrence that their people would celebrate for days. But this first day, a week after the birth, was for formality. The week was for the family to adjust to the new tot and to ensure that he or she was healthy enough to live. It was a sad truth that the entire village had held their breath, waiting for a week to pass to welcome the new dwarf. But it had passed and now it was time for the celebrations to start.

Blue eyes blinked slowly before a smile lit up Fíli's face. "A baby?" he asked, his voice excited.

"Aye, lad."

A happy noise left him and he started wiggling. "A new friend?"

Thorin smiled faintly. "He's still small, Fíli. It will be a while before you and Kíli will get to play with him.

Fíli pouted before giggling as Thorin set him right and started on his hair again. He wasn't surprised at his nephew's joy. Since Kíli, there hadn't been another birth in the village. He didn't think it was for lack of trying, but this was the first to be celebrated in eight years.

Finishing off the pair of braids that would keep most of Fíli's hair off his face, Thorin wondered for a moment what to tie it off with. The usual leather ties weren't appropriate for the event, but Fíli didn't have anything else. Glancing across the room, he studied the small chest sitting above the hearth. "Put your hands behind your head," he told Fíli.

His nephew quickly complied and carefully clasped the braids as Thorin guided his hands to them. More giggles fell from his lips as Thorin stood, keeping Fíli in his arms.

Crossing the room, he opened the chest and studied the polished metal inside.

"What's that, Uncle?" Fíli asked, straining against Thorin's hold to see better.

"Memories," he said quietly, pushing aside a few things before he found what he was looking for. Setting Fíli down on his feet, he gently took the braids back and secured them with the small, silver clasp he had pulled out of the chest. It hurt his heart to see the jewellery, but at the same time he knew that nothing else would work.

Big blue eyes were staring up at him as Thorin turned Fíli to face him. "Why are you sad, Uncle?" he asked. "It's a happy day."

"Yes it is," he agreed, deciding that he wouldn't tell Fíli that the clip in his hair had once been Frerin's. He didn't need any more sadness touching the day, although he was sure Fíli wouldn't view it with sadness as Thorin did. His nephews loved hearing stories about the uncle they had never met and hero worshipped him almost as much as they did Thorin.

Fíli gave him a sweet smile before throwing his arms around Thorin's neck. "Thank you, Uncle!"

He patted the boy's back before smiling as his sister-son raced out of the room. Shaking his head slightly, he stood and brushed off his tunic. His gaze caught on the heavy ring around his middle finger and he nearly sighed. Thror would never know that his line would continue despite all the tragedy that had struck it. His father had never gotten to see his grandsons and they would never know him. Frerin would never know that his nephews ran around the village pretending to be their uncles on some glorious quest for their people.

"Stop that."

Looking up at the voice, Thorin saw Dís standing in the doorway. "Stop what?"

She gave him a look and he recognized it as the same one she gave her sons when they tried to lie to her. "I know you better than that, Brother," she said quietly. "I know when the past weighs on your mind."

Thorin let out a breath, his thumb rubbing over the inside of his ring. "It's hard not to think of them some days," he admitted.

"Today is a cause for joy and celebration. The ghosts of our past are always with us, but even they would be happy about this."

A slight smile curled his lips. Yes, both his grandfather and father had enjoyed the birthday celebrations. He could still remember the feasts and events thrown for his brother and sister. They had been extravagant and over the top, but it was expected with the births of a new prince and princess.

Dís cupped his cheeks and smiled up at him. "Let them go for today, Thorin," she said softly. "Today is about the family and the new baby. Tomorrow you can remember."

He would always remember their dead, but he would try for his family and for the new dwarfling.

"I saw what you gave Fíli. Are you sure you-"

"It is good for him to have," Thorin cut in. "And it serves no purpose sitting on a shelf."

Dís nodded slowly. "If you are sure."

He was but he didn't want to discuss it. If he did, there would be no chance of him enjoying the day.

"Fíli was very excited to have it," she said, pulling away, "but I do hope you have another."

Thorin nearly asked why, but he chuckled instead. "Kíli?"

"Mmhmm. Has to have everything his brother does after all."

Glancing at the chest, Thorin said, "There might be another."

Dís smiled. "Good. Now we've left them alone for long enough. Anymore and we'll be pushing our luck. Are you ready?"

"More or less."

"Good. I need to fix my braids."

Thorin chuckled. "Fine, Sister. I will watch your sons."

She grinned at him before leaving the room.

He wasted no time following her out, heading for the main room. He could hear his nephews in there and it was too close to the door for his liking. Sure enough, as he rounded the corner he saw Kíli pushing a chair toward the door. Or trying to. Fíli was on the other side, pushing back so the younger dwarf was losing ground.

"Fíli!" Kíli wailed, stomping his foot.

"Can't, Kíli. Have to go see the baby!"

His little nose scrunched in distaste. "Play!"

Leaning against the doorframe, Thorin watched as Fíli still wouldn't let Kíli push the chair to the door. More and more Fíli was 'ruining' his brother's fun, but it was a relief to both Dís and Thorin. The pair still got into trouble, but it was less frequent now that Fíli was reaching the age where a dwarf's emotional and cognitive development outpaced their physical growth.

"Fíli!" Kíli yelled, jerking harshly on the chair.

"We play inside, Kíli."

"No!"

Knowing Kíli was frustrated with his brother, Thorin started toward them. But when the dwarfling raised his clenched fist in real anger, surprise filled him. "_Kíli!"_

Both dwarves whipped around to look at him at his sharp tone, eyes wide.

Walking into the room, he kept his gaze on the younger one. "What were you going to do, Kíli?" he asked seriously.

He tried to look down at his feet, but Thorin lifted his chin. "I sorry."

No it wasn't that easy this time. "Why were you going to hit your brother?" he asked, holding Kíli's dark gaze.

"Won't play!"

"Because we have to go somewhere important today and Fíli was trying to keep you from getting in trouble."

"But outside!"

"Not today, Kíli," Thorin said firmly. "Tomorrow you can play."

He sniffed and rubbed at his eyes. "Okay," he mumbled.

Glancing at Fíli, Thorin saw he had put the chair back and was looking at his brother. Blue eyes turned to him and the dwarfling smiled.

"It's okay, Uncle. Kíli can't hurt me."

Kíli gave him a watery glare as Thorin shook his head. "That doesn't matter, Fíli. What matters is that he was going to hit you when he was mad and that isn't something we do."

Kíli sniffed again. "Why not?"

"Because it hurts far more than you can understand." Making sure they were both paying attention, Thorin said, "Anger is not always your friend, my boys. Giving in to it does not have good consequences."

They both stared before Kíli's nose scrunched again. "Mama spanks when she's mad," he pointed out.

Thorin smiled. "That's different."

He made a face before looking at Fíli. "I sorry, Fíli."

Fíli smiled and hugged him until he giggled.

Watching them, Thorin felt the hand gripping his heart ease. Kíli was too young to consider violence as a solution. Perhaps they needed to start his training sooner than planned. It would teach him some discipline and would be something for him to look forward to. He would talk with Dwalin and Balin and see what they thought would be a good place to begin with Kíli. He had an idea, but he wanted their input.

"Just think, Kíli," Fíli said, "the new baby will be our friend."

Kíli didn't look so sure. He had never had to share his brother before and it didn't look like he was keen on the idea.

"Ori's too small to play with," Thorin reminded them. "But in a few years, you'll all play together."

Fíli smiled, but Kíli wasn't convinced. "We dressed up for him?"

Realising Kíli's resentment of not being allowed to play might transfer to the baby, Thorin shook his head. "You're dressed up because you're heirs of Durin and princes of Erebor. You can't always look like mud monsters."

That made them both giggle and Thorin smiled. Kíli would probably still be sullen for a bit but it would pass. He watched them whisper to one another before Kíli took off with a squeal and Fíli ran after him.

Had he and Frerin ever been so carefree? If so, he couldn't remember and it made him sad. The manner of his brother's death had clouded so many of his memories. He let himself have a moment to grieve before he locked the pain away.

"Careful," he cautioned as Kíli ran under a table and Fíli nearly smacked his head on it.

"Where do they get all of this energy?" Dís sighed as she came into the room. "I swear, they wake up with the sole thought of exhausting us."

Thorin smiled faintly. Yes, they were rambunctious but he wouldn't change it. There would come a day that honour and duty would be there main concern, but not today. Today they were still young.

Dis hooked her arm through his and let her head rest on her shoulder. "I wish he could see them," she said softly, her voice sad.

He gave her hand a squeeze, letting her have her own moment to grieve. Death had visited their family too often, but they were still here and had to survive.

"Alright," she said, giving herself a shake. "Time to go."

Both boys looked over at her and hurried over when she waved to them. Thorin watched as she tugged fur lined coats onto them, making them giggle as she tickled them.

"I help Unka!" Kíli yelled suddenly, running to where Thorin's coat was hanging near the door.

Thorin opened his mouth to say he didn't need his coat, but Dís shot him a look that silenced him. Crossing to his nephew, he helped him pull it down. "Thank you, Kíli," he said, settling it on his shoulders.

The tot grinned before holding out his hands.

Knowing it would be the only way to keep him clean, Thorin scooped him up and glanced at Dís. She had Fíli's hand gripped firmly so they were ready to go.

Kíli squirmed a bit in his arms as they walked through the village, but mostly he chattered at his brother and waved at the dwarves they passed. The elders smiled back at him and nodded at Thorin and Dís. They were all anxious to see the new dwarf, but they would have to wait until after the royals.

"Unka?"

"Aye, Kíli?"

"Why baby so special?"

"All children are special to us, Kíli." Because there were too few among their kind.

"Even Kíli?"

Thorin smiled. "Especially you and your brother," he said honestly.

Kíli seemed to think about that before he cuddled into Thorin, little arms wrapping around his neck.

Wondering if Kíli really understood what was happening, Thorin decided to explain again after the formalities were over. Kíli had been the baby of the village for eight years so his behaviour could be understood partially. But they were at the house so it would have to wait. Knocking on the door, he was surprised at the dwarf on the other. "Nori," he greeted. "I didn't know you were back."

"Couldn't miss my brother's birth, could I?"

Thorin nodded slightly and moved inside when Nori stepped away. "How are they?"

"Tired."

Realising it would be easier to talk to Dori, he glanced around but didn't see the older brother.

"Lady Dís." Nori gave her a sketchy bow.

"I see you're cheeky as ever, Nori," Dís laughed.

The dwarf smirked before it faded as he looked over his shoulder. "They're waiting for you."

Thorin nodded and followed Nori through the house. It was quieter than expected, but that was probably because he was used to the noise of his sister-sons.

"Mother," Nori said, tapping on a closed door. "They're here."

"Come in."

The sitting room was almost as hot as a forge and Loni was seated next to the hearth. She gave them a smile as they approached and Dori rose to stand beside her.

"Greetings, Loni," Dís said first. "We are here to welcome your son into our village."

"I thank you, Dís, daughter of Thrain. Your presence is welcome." Her pale blue eyes looked at Thorin. "Greetings, my king. May I present my son, Ori?"

Thorin passed Kíli to his mother and took the babe. "Hail, Ori," he said, looking down at him. Wispy hair covered his head and his mother's pale eyes stared up at him. "Distant it may be, but you are my kin and welcome in our home."

"That the baby?"

Soft chuckles rang through the room at Kíli's demand and Thorin shifted so his nephew could see Ori.

Kíli's cheeks puffed up slightly as dark eyes moved over the baby. "Dressed up for you."

Lifting a brow, Thorin hoped Kíli wasn't going to get upset again, but Ori let out a gurgle and flailed his hands.

Kíli's eyes went wide in response and he giggled. "He like me, Fíli!"

Fíli grinned. "Course he does! Can I see?"

Thorin crouched down and Fíli moved closer.

"'lo, Ori!" he said, catching one of his hands to shake. "We be friends when you get bigger."

Ori cooed and waved the finger he had gripped onto.

Both of his nephews giggled at that.

Rising, Thorin handed Ori back to his mother. "You have a fine son, Loni."

She smiled. "He certainly likes your boys," she murmured. "That's the most noise he's made for anyone."

"Means he's going to be a troublemaker too," Nori chuckled.

"We'll see," Dori muttered, sounding cross.

"Whatever little Ori becomes will be welcome in our lives," Dís cut in before the brothers could start arguing. She moved over to sit by Loni and patted her arm. "Nori said you were tired. How are you feeling?"

Shifting back, Thorin waited for Dori to approach him. "The father?" he asked quietly.

Dori shook his head. "She won't speak of him."

Thorin wasn't surprised. Loni was a sweet female and some took advantage of it. "When did Nori return?"

"The day after Ori was born. He won't say where he's been."

But Dori was clearly disapproving. He always had been of his wilder younger brother. "Ori is his brother too. Perhaps being an older brother will settle him down a bit."

"Perhaps," he said dubiously.

Thorin glanced to where Nori was crouching down near Fíli and Kíli. Whatever story he was telling had them wide eyed and staring. A knock came at the door and both of them looked.

"Excuse me," Dori murmured when Nori made no move to open the door again.

Moving so he could lean against a wall, Thorin watched as dwarves started to show up. He nodded in greeting when they met his gaze, but he stayed back. This was about Ori, not him, and he wasn't going to take any attention off of the dwarf babe. The room quickly filled with people and Thorin found himself in the company of Balin and Dwalin.

"Tis a good day," Balin said, looking over the crowd.

"Aye, another dwarf to train into a warrior," his brother agreed.

Thorin smiled. He wasn't sure Loni would want Ori to be a warrior but he would be trained like all the others. Speaking of others, he glanced around to find his nephews. "Mahal, where did they go?" he growled when he couldn't see them.

"Your boys?" Dwalin rumbled.

"They were with Nori," Balin said, looking at the gathering.

Which was not a good thing. A bad feeling settled in his stomach when he heard feminine giggles and masculine chuckles. "Why do I take my eyes off of them?" he muttered, moving through the crowd. When he reached a window, he didn't know how to react, didn't know what the acceptable response was.

Outside Loni's home, both of his nephews were frolicking in the puddles and mud. They were giggling and chasing each other and having what looked like a marvelous time. But they were doing it completely naked.

Hearing Balin and Dwalin chuckle behind him, Thorin knew he had to fix this. Before Dís found them. "What's going on?" he demanded, stepping outside.

Both boys froze and looked at him. "Play?" Kíli said hesitantly.

"Not today, Kíli. I told you that already. And where are your clothes?"

They shared a look. "Mama said we couldn't get them dirty," Fíli said slowly.

"So we took 'em off!" Kíli said proudly.

Thorin had to bite down on his cheek until the urge to laugh passed.

Muddy hands pressed to his knee and Kíli looked at him with big eyes. "In trouble, Unka?" he whispered.

He wanted to say yes, but the pair were far too cute to be mad. "Your mother isn't going to be impressed," he said honestly. "And you won't get to play anymore today."

"But!"

Thorin shrugged out of his coat and wrapped them both in it. "You both need a bath," he told them. "We're going home now."

They pouted but he ignored it.

"It's either me or your mother."

The pouts immediately disappeared and they moved closer to him.

"Thorin."

Looking at Nori, he saw the young dwarf had his nephews' clothes. "Thank you," he said, shifting his bundle to take the clothes.

Nori nodded and winked at the boys. "See you soon."

They chorused farewells as Thorin carried them around the house.

"Unca?"

"Mm, Kíli?"

"Mud monsters!"

Thorin finally chuckled. "Aye, lad," he agreed. "Mud monsters you are."

* * *

A/N: I should probably put up some ages here so some of this makes sense and yeah, I'm running with the movieverse about Kili/Fili not being the youngest (Even though it irked me in the beginning):

Kili: 8 (which is roughly 2 1/2 in human terms)

Fili: 13 (4 and a bit)

Nori: 50 (16)

Dori: 80 (25 1/2)

I figure that's a good enough age gap between Nori and Dori and yeah, it's a huge one between those boys and Ori, but I got the feeling (from the movie) that there's some big age gaps in there. I also read somewhere in one of the many books I bought when the movie came out, that the actors playing this trio kind of thought that each of them had different fathers. This doesn't really run with the canon in the book, but I thought. Eh. My story. I can choose the canons that I want to follow. So yes, there it is.

And the inspiration for Fili and Kili's mud scene at the end comes from my childhood where I did that exact thing. Mom told me I couldn't get my clothes dirty so I took them off. Unfortunately she has a picture to prove it and I will never live it down... But I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading!


	6. Bath and Bedtime

Leaning back in the copper tub, Thorin sighed deeply as the heat from the water soothed his aching muscles. They were finally making progress on the excavation of the old city in the mountains. Within the year they should be able to settle in it, once again having mountains over their heads. It had taken too long to get to this point, too many obstacles in their path, but they were now close to their goal.

He had been going into the tunnels to help for the past week, pushing himself past his normal limits to get this done. He wanted to give his people a proper home. The village worked but it wasn't normal for dwarves to be living under the open sky. They deserved to have stone halls surrounding them and the comfort and safety of a mountain home.

Only Balin's firm insistence had sent him home every day. He hadn't wanted to, but the older dwarf had a wicked ace up his sleeve that ripped the ground out from under Thorin.

_"Your nephews lost their father in these halls. Don't make them lose their uncle as well."_

A low growl left him as the words echoed in his mind. It was a low blow, but it worked every time. He could imagine his nephews waiting and waiting for him to come home and being broken when he never did. So he always went when Balin threw that at him, hurrying to his sister's house to see his boys. He was always greeted with smiles and hugs and he knew Balin's method would never fail to work. These two were too important to Thorin for him to even consider hurting them like that.

Closing his eyes, he let his mind blank. There was still much to do but he was home again and everything-

The door suddenly creaked open and he heard the pitter-patter of little feet. "Uncle?"

Thorin opened one eye to see both Fíli and Kíli standing beside the tub. A growling sigh left him as he saw they were wrapped in towels and nothing else. "Boys," he said quietly, a bad feeling settling in his gut as to why they were in here.

"Mama says we have to have a bath," Fíli said, making Kíli's nose scrunch.

"Now?"

"Mama says Uncle already in bath so it's your turn."

Of course it was. "Alright," he said, "but we're going to have a bath. This isn't playtime."

They both nodded but Thorin knew it didn't mean anything. Bath time with Fíli and Kíli always ended with a water war of some kind.

"Get in here," he sighed.

Fíli dropped his towel and clambered up over the edge of the tub. Kíli clutched his towel tighter, his little nose still wrinkled in distaste.

Thorin shook his head as Fíli splashed face first into the water, helping him right himself. "Kíli."

"Not dirty, Unka!"

Lifting a brow, Thorin would agree that Kíli wasn't overly dirty but Dís had said it was bath night. And he wasn't going to fight her over this. He had tried and it hadn't ended well for him. "I know, but your mother said you have to."

Little hands clenched in the towel before he squealed as Fíli splashed him. "Fee!" he cried, shaking wet hair from his eyes.

"Now you're wet so you have to have a bath," his brother giggled, grinning.

Kíli huffed even as Thorin sighed. "I said it wasn't playtime, Fíli."

"…Sorry," he muttered.

Reaching out, Thorin scooped Kíli up and pulled his towel away from him. The dwarfling squirmed as his toes touched the water but he didn't protest as Thorin set him down. The water was low enough that he could touch the bottom and still have his head above it, but that was about it. "Be careful," Thorin warned Fíli as he moved and nearly submerged his brother.

"Gotta wash your hair, Kíli," Fíli told his brother before disappearing under the water.

Kíli watched him with narrow eyes, obviously having decided he was not going to enjoy his bath tonight.

Thorin tried not to laugh at the sullen look on his nephew's face. It was identical to the one Dís would wear when she was told to have a bath when her childish self didn't think she needed one. "Close your eyes," he told Kíli.

Small hands covered his eyes and his cheeks puffed up as he held his breath. He still made a noise as Thorin dumped water over his head and big eyes blinked up at him from behind damp bangs. "Why, Unka?"

"Because your mother said so."

Kíli huffed again, sinking down just enough so he could blow bubbles in the water.

Glancing at Fíli, Thorin saw his older nephew was already holding a bar of soap and a wash cloth. Since when had Fíli been so dedicated to baths? Usually he was as stubborn as Kíli was being. But Thorin wasn't going to question it. If he had one less sullen tot to deal with, it would be easier for him.

And it was until Fíli decided he was done and wanted to play with Kíli. It started innocent enough, making faces to make his brother giggle, but it quickly escalated.

"Enough!" Thorin growled as Fíli splashed his brother. "If you're done, Fíli, get dry."

"But Kíli!" he pouted.

Was currently rubbing the water out of his eyes. "We're almost done," Thorin said, lifting Fíli out of the tub to set him near the towels. "Dry off."

A big sigh left him but he did as he was told.

Turning back to Kíli, Thorin saw the spark in his eyes too late.

"Kíli!" his brother yelled as the younger dwarf sent a wave of water over the lip of the tub to soak him. And everything else on the floor.

Kíli's giggles filled the room even as Fíli huffed in irritation. Thorin just closed his eyes and prayed to Mahal they would outgrow this mischievousness before they were adults. He wasn't sure he would survive if they didn't.

"Eyes," he said shortly before dumping water over Kíli to rinse him off.

The tot sputtered as he didn't prepare fast enough and it was Fíli's turn to giggle.

"Stop," he told them both when they looked like they were going to go at it again.

Two pairs of big eyes looked at him and Kíli stayed silent as Thorin deposited him beside his brother. He didn't expect it to last and he wasn't looking forward to the days when a simple barked order would stop them. They were both headstrong and stubborn as was fitting for ones born into the line of Durin, but Thorin knew those characteristics were going to cause uncle and mother a world of pain one day.

He shook his head at himself for aging them when they were still just little tots. Levering himself out of the tub, Thorin sighed as he saw how much water was on the floor. "Just once," he muttered, getting out and moving to where his towel was hung. "Mahal, just once can they not do that. Is it really too much to ask for?"

Wrapping the towel around his hips, he turned to see both boys wringing the water out of their hair onto the floor. Well. The floor was already covered so a little more wasn't going to hurt. Scooping up a second towel, he beckoned them over as he crouched down.

Giggles filled the room again as he dried them off, claims of uncle tickling them following and making Thorin smile. No matter how bad they got, he would never wish they weren't here. It didn't matter what they did or what they would do, they were his nephews and a great treasure in his life. Wrapping them both in the towel, he said, "Go on and get dressed."

They left with the towel, giggling the entire way.

Shaking his head again, Thorin set about mopping up the room. Dís would skin him alive if he left this mess for her to deal with. Wringing out the towels over the tub as it drained, he heard his sister greet the boys as they reached their room. There were more giggles and squeals as she no doubt tickled them as well.

He hung up the soaked towels and his clothes near the fireplace, spacing them out so they would dry. A glance around the room to ensure everything was as tidy as it could get and he left for his own bedroom.

Drying himself off fully once inside, he pulled on a pair of clean trousers, wanting nothing more than to stretch out on his bed and end the day. His tunic had barely settled on him when he heard little feet again. He fought a groan. Why was Dís foisting her children on him tonight? He had played with them when he had gotten home so why now? Looking at the door, he saw his nephews peeking in around the doorframe. "What is it, lads?" he asked.

"Story, Unka?"

"Only one," he agreed. "I'm tired."

They squealed and rushed into the room, climbing onto the bed. Well, Fíli did. He had to give his brother a boost onto the mattress.

Wondering what story they would want tonight, Thorin closed his door. He joined them on the bed, settling one on either side of him. "Do you have a story you want to hear about?"

"Airboar!"

Fíli snickered as Thorin winced, not only about Kíli butchering the name but what they wanted to hear. "Erebor?"

"And the dragon!" Fíli added excitedly.

His eyes closed with a sigh. He had told these stories before but tonight when they were so close to finishing their new home, he didn't want to remember the one he'd lost. It brought back all of the things that had happened between that day and now.

"Why Unka sad, Fee?" Kíli whispered when he didn't say anything.

"Dunno. Uncle, why are you sad?"

Unable to answer, he pulled them a little closer, feeling their warm, sturdy little bodies against him. He had lost so much because of that dragon, but he had also gained his nephews. Dís surely would have married in Erebor and had children, but it wouldn't have been the same. They wouldn't have been Fíli and Kíli and he couldn't imagine his life without them. Even the thought of trying twisted his gut into knots.

Little arms wrapped around him, bringing him back. "It's okay, Uncle," Fíli said, hugging him tightly.

"No sad!"

"I'm alright," he assured them but his voice was thick.

"Hugs make better!"

A faint smile curled his lips and he rubbed Kíli's back. "Aye, they do."

Kíli pulled back to grin at him. "We tell Unka story to make happy!"

Thorin blinked. "What?"

"About killing the dragon and getting the gold!" Fíli agreed.

"It won't be easy," Thorin warned.

Cheeks puffing up, Kíli said, "Our story, Unka!"

Realising he was expected to simply be quiet and listen as if he were the child, Thorin settled back against the headboard.

"Have to have lots o'food," Kíli said. "Long ways to Airboar."

Fíli nodded. "And weapons."

"Ya!" Kíli wiggled excitedly against Thorin and his uncle knew it was because he had finally gotten a wooden sword of his own. He was younger than usual to receive that gift but it had been time. "And ponies!"

Fíli made a face that had Thorin chuckling. His elder nephew was not fond of the ponies in the village and hadn't been since one of them had eaten his apple when he hadn't been paying attention. "We could walk," he said instead.

Kíli stared in horror. "Long, long, long, long ways to Airboar!" he protested. "Be old and ugly by time we get there if walk!"

Biting the inside of his cheek, Thorin fought off another laugh.

"But then we have beards and be strong dwarves like Uncle Thorin!"

He lifted a brow as he heard the underhanded comment in the words. "Are you saying I'm old and ugly?" he rumbled.

Two pairs of big eyes snapped up to him, little mouths open in horror. "No!"

Thorin kept looking at them, his brow still cocked. He watched as they squirmed under his gaze and waited for them to say something else.

"Unka not ugly," Kíli offered.

Fíli nodded quickly. "Mama said Uncle handsome dwarf and he mean for making so many other dwarves unhappy."

Frowning slightly, Thorin wondered what in Durin's name they were talking about before he growled. Why did his sister think that he needed to marry? And why was she telling her sons about it? He had no time for it and-

"We said Unka not ugly!" Kíli squealed, still staring at him with big eyes.

Realising they thought he was growling at him, he shook his head. "Aye, you did but that means you do think I'm old."

The brothers shared a look before chewing on lower lips. "Well," Fíli said slowly, "Uncle is old. Mama said so. Mama always says Uncle's old enough to know better and old enough to have a family and older than her. Mama always says Uncle's old."

He muttered something under his breath and nearly groaned when he saw both boys light up at the curse words. "No," he said sharply, making them pout. They had already learned a curse or three from him and he wasn't going to teach them more. At least not until they were older.

"Still love Unka even if old," Kíli offered, giving Thorin a sweet smile.

A huffing laugh left him. "I'm not old," he told them, "although some days I feel it."

They frowned at him and he decided it was time to move the conversation onto something else.

"Uncle?" Fíli asked before he could say anything.

"Aye?"

"Are we ever going back to Erebor?"

"Maybe," he said honestly. "A dragon is a mighty foe, Fíli, and not one to be taken lightly. We will need to plan and be prepared to face him." But Thorin knew he wouldn't ever really feel at peace if he didn't at least try to reclaim his home. He also knew it wouldn't be any time soon. His people hadn't recovered enough to even consider something like that.

"We go with you?"

Thorin blinked in surprise and looked down at them. "You're still little," he said quietly.

"When we get bigger," Fíli said, making Kíli nod. "We can go with you, right?"

His heart screamed at the thought of subjecting his nephews to the horror of that dragon. "I can't promise you that," he murmured. "It will be a long time from now and you might not want to go with me if we go back."

"We go!" Kíli insisted, putting his hands on Thorin's knee. "We go and keep Unka safe!"

"It's supposed to be the other way around, lad," he chuckled. "It's my job to keep you two safe."

"But when we're bigger we can fight and help Uncle."

Thorin stared down at the bright faces of his nephews and wondered if he could do it. He knew they would both be fine warriors when they were adults, he was going to see to it but…. Could he train them to fight, to protect their people and expect them to stay behind when he finally went to reclaim Erebor? Could he survive taking them with and showing them what the world was really like? No matter how pretty and safe the stories Thorin and Balin told them, he knew that there was every possibility he could lose one or both of them if they went to Erebor with him.

"Unka?"

Pulling them close, Thorin kissed both of their brows. "We'll talk about it when you're older," he said quietly, trying to keep his emotions out of his voice. "For now we're going to stay here."

Fíli smiled up at him and Kíli tried to cover up a yawn without success.

Smiling as he watched Kíli rub tiredly at his eyes, Thorin wished they could stay children forever. He didn't want them to grow up and learn what the world was really like. It hadn't been kind to his family and he didn't want that kind of pain to touch their lives. He knew it was impossible, but he still wished it. He would take mud monsters and water wars over the pain and suffering being an adult brought any day.

"Bed time?" Fíli asked his brother as Kíli yawned again.

Kíli pouted, but his lids were drooping. The tot was going to fall asleep soon and he wasn't going to be able to fight it.

Watching them for a moment, Thorin made his decision. He moved them both up to the headboard before tugging the blankets out so he could get all three of them under them.

"Unka?" Kíli asked sleepily.

"You can stay here tonight," he said, blowing out the candle beside the bed and pulling them close.

Fíli giggled happily and cuddled into his side. Kíli wasn't happy with his spot tucked under his uncle's arm. Grasping Thorin's tunic, he crawled onto his chest before sprawling out on it.

Thorin let his hand rest on Kíli's back to keep the dwarfling where he was and smiled slightly as Kíli immediately stuck his thumb in his mouth. It was his current sleeping habit and they hadn't been able to break him of it yet.

"Uncle?"

"Aye, Fíli?"

"Can you sing? Please?"

He didn't have to ask which song Fíli meant. He knew which one. While he couldn't tell them a story about Erebor tonight, he could do this. Kíli sighed softly, rubbing his cheek against Thorin's chest as he began to hum, and Fíli squirmed a little closer, small hands gripping Thorin's tunic tightly. He had never forgotten the pain and horror he had seen that day and he had never forgiven those that had not helped him. But that wasn't what this song meant to his nephews. It was the song Uncle always sang for them, a reminder of events gone by and a home they had never known.

_ "Far over the Misty Mountains cold…"_

* * *

A/N: Hello again. I didn't expect to update this story but an idea grabbed me today so I ran with it. Didn't turn out the way I had planned, but what can you do? I actually managed to start and finish this today and I'm kind of impressed with myself. I didn't do much homework but I got plenty of time to get that crap done. So yes, hope you liked and thank you thank you thank you to all of you who read these. It makes me happy that you do :)


	7. Mother Knows Best

A/N: A small change of pace, told from Dis' point of view.

* * *

Stirring the pot hanging over the fire, Dís hummed softly to herself. Her home was silent for once and although she enjoyed the peace, it felt unnatural. She was used to the happy shrieks and giggles of her sons filling the stone halls. But for a few hours every day, her home was quiet as her brother took his nephews to train.

She enjoyed the time in a way, using it to finish all the tasks she couldn't do with little bodies under foot. Once she was done, all she wanted was her sons home with her. She knew they were safe with their uncle and the other warriors present at the practise field, but she was a mother. She would always worry when her sons weren't in her sight.

Dís gave herself a shake. She had no use for moping about. There was always something to be done and she had no time for being idle. It kept her mind from wandering to unpleasant memories. Bustling around the kitchen, she got the table set for when her dwarves would get home. Her dwarflings were always hungry, a result of the energy they expended in their every waking hour, but they were starving when they got home from training.

Hanging a kettle over the fire, she set a deep basin on the counter beside the door and filled half of it with cool water. Hands and faces would need to be washed and this was easier than attempting to get both boys into the tub. Especially since they had just had a bath the night before and would be unwilling to have another so soon.

As the kettle began to whistle, she heard the door to the main room open. Her eyes closed for a moment to savour the happy chatter of her boys and the low rumble of her brother. Home was once again back to normal. She heard the soft thumping of little feet on stone as she poured the hot water into the basin.

The door to the kitchen burst open and two voices cried, "Mama!"

Dís set aside the kettle quickly and crouched down to catch her sons. Giggles abounded between them as she kissed foreheads and hugged them tightly. "Did you have a good day?"

They both nodded, happy grins on their faces. Fíli had been training for a few years now and had always loved it. Now that Kíli wasn't being left behind to trail after Dís, he had seen why his brother had enjoyed their time apart so much.

"Did you actually practise or just wrestle?" she asked, eying how dirty they actually were.

Their grins got a little sheepish and she laughed.

"Get cleaned up. Lunch is nearly done."

They giggled and kissed her cheeks before leaving her grasp.

She watched as they pushed a wide stool over to the counter so they could reach the basin, a smile tugging at her lips. Rising to her feet, Dís let the smile form as Thorin came into the room. "Brother."  
He nodded at her, joining her to watch the boys. "They were mostly good today," he said, leaning back against the table.

"Mostly?"

"There was a small…incident with one of the other lads. He's new to the field, but big for his age."

Dís frowned, already have a good idea where this was going.

"He's got in in his head that he's better than the others because the rest of the boys are scared of him because of his size."

"A bully and a brute then," she muttered.

"Aye. But your boys weren't scared of him."

Of course they weren't. They lived with Thorin Oakenshield and had seen his temper. They had been raised on tales of battles that were filled with orcs and wargs and goblins. They knew what to fear and a bully wasn't one of them. "What happened?"

"There's a small boy, Ballar, that we've been pairing Kíli with because they're the same size. They get along well enough that it's relatively simple to train them, but the new boy figured they'd be an easy target. Ballar was scared enough to suit him, but Kíli just ignored him and kept practising even when Ballar stopped." Thorin took a deep breath. "The boy didn't like that and he took a swing at Kíli."

Dís tensed automatically, her gaze moving over her youngest intently. She hadn't seen any bruises and he hadn't flinched at all when she had hugged him.

"He didn't get hit," Thorin assured her. "Ballar saw what was happening and, when he realised Kíli wasn't watching, he jumped between them and took the blow."

Her heart ached for the boy and she decided she was going to seek out the family to thank them, checking on the little one that had so acted so selflessly.

"Kíli noticed _that_ and it took him all of a second to figure out what happened. He reacted…and attacked."

"Attacked?" she echoed, startled. She had known the moment her sons had been born that they would be warriors. They were of the direct line of Durin so it was expected of them. But it was hard to picture her sunny faced baby boy going on the attack. Especially as he giggled and splashed in the water.

"Aye. Caught us all by surprise and before we could react, he lost the upper hand."

Dís wasn't stupid. She had noticed that her brother had left out the other child's name. They both knew that she took no quarter where her sons were concerned and would seek out the child's family for an attack of her own.

"Fíli intervened to help, Dís. He was closer than all of us and he didn't hesitate. They took him down easily, Sister," he continued, his voice soft. "with the little training between them, they worked perfectly together and brought him down within a minute."

She made a quiet noise. That didn't surprise her. Fíli and Kíli were close, closer than any other siblings she had met. They always seemed to know what the other was thinking, sometimes before the thinker himself had figured it out. If it worked for them in everyday life, why wouldn't it apply to training? "You spoke with them?"

"I did." The quiet firmness in Thorin's voice told her he knew exactly what she was asking.

Good. While protecting others was acceptable, automatically attacking another was frowned on. Thorin wouldn't have allowed them to train again until he was sure they understood that. "And Ballar? Is he alright?"

"Bruised and sore, but alright. He'll be back tomorrow."

"And the other?" she asked coolly, unable to keep the ice from her voice.

"It'll be a while before he's allowed to return," Thorin said, his voice equally cold.

She nodded before clucking her tongue at the boys. "Dry off and get settled," she said when they looked over. "Your uncle needs to wash up."

They splashed for a moment longer before hopping off the stool to find a towel.

Dís watched them for a moment longer before returning to the stew. Carefully pulling it away from the fire, she set it on the table. A fresh loaf of bread was waiting to join it and she had just finished slicing it when the boys bounded back into the room, waving the towel they'd found like a flag at their uncle.

Lunch was its usual affair with chattering boys and waving hands. Some food wound up on the table, some on clothes and hopefully enough in empty bellies. By the end, Kíli was in her lap and waving his spoon at his brother.

Looking across the table at Thorin, Dís saw he was listening to Fíli, a faint smile on his lips. Her brother had always been stern; even before the dragon had come his smiles had been few. But she had seen a different side to him on rare occasions when it wasn't necessary to be a prince of Erebor. It had all but disappeared as life had hardened Thorin through grief and anger. A part of her had despaired at the thought of her brother being so cold because of the hand he had been dealt. It didn't matter that she understood why it happened; he was the only family she had left and she hadn't been sure she hadn't lost him as well.

But then Fíli had been born. His uncle had been second to hold him after Fíli's father and he had been unable to hide his emotions. At least from her. Everyone had been fussing over her, but her attention had been stuck fast on her brother. She had watched as he had let little fingers curl around his thumb and she had seen her brother again as he had smiled at the baby with unfettered joy.

"Mama?"

"Yes, Kíli?" she asked, stroking back his short hair.

He made a happy noise, cuddling into her. "Love you, Mama!"

Dís smiled and rubbed his back. "I love you as well."

Kíli smiled up at her before picking up a slice of bread to munch on as he looked over at his brother who grinned at him.

"What do you two want to do before your lessons?" she asked, following Kíli's gaze.

Fíli's nose wrinkled slightly, but he thought about it as he chewed. "Granpa Balin gave us new paints," he said after a moment.

"Paints!" Kíli cried happily.

Dís tried not to frown. It would be a nice past time for them, but she wasn't sure either of them would stay focused on it for long. "Are you sure, darling?" she asked.

He nodded, giving her a sunny grin.

Kíli began wiggling in her lap, his excitement too much to contain. "Paint, Mama!"

"Alright, alright," she laughed. "You need to wash your face again and change, Kíli, then I'll get-"

"I'll do it, Dís."

Blinking, she glanced at Thorin. "Are you sure? You've had them all morning."

"Aye, but most of my time with them now is spent in training. It will be a change to simply do something with them as their uncle."

Dís bit her lip to keep herself from smiling at that. Any who thought her brother completely devoid of emotions would never know how wrong they truly were. Family mattered to Thorin more than he ever let anyone know.

Something in her expression must have given her away because Thorin frowned at her. "And it will give you a chance to relax," he added.

"I've had all morning to relax," she said dryly.

"Which you didn't do."

She pursed her lips. He was right and they both knew it. "Keep an eye on them," she said as he took a squirming Kíli from her.

He gave her a look, irritated that she even had to suggest he didn't know how to deal with his nephews, but wisely didn't comment. "Yes, Dís. Go, Sister. Take time for yourself," he told her.

She smiled at him as he left the room with Fíli quickly following him, but it faded as soon as they were gone. Time for herself? She hated having that and now she was being ordered to take it. But before that…. She tidied the table, rinsing dishes and storing the remnants of the meal for later or tomorrow.

Hearing her boys suddenly in the main room, she nearly joined them. Thorin was her brother and king, but she was a mother. That trumped anything he could say to her. She hadn't seen her boys since after breakfast when he had stomped off with them in tow for practise. Her hand was on the door when she paused as Thorin said something that made her sons giggle. Yes, she wanted to spend time with them, but she couldn't deny him that time either and he was simply trying to be nice to her. Pulling back, she left the room and went to her bedroom.

It was warm and inviting inside with a large chair before the fire that was big enough for mother and sons. A large book of fables sat on the seat, left over from last night's story time. But that wasn't what would keep her occupied.

Walking to her bed, she settled against the headboard and picked up the book on the bedside table. She lit a lantern for extra light and ran her fingers over the cover. It had been read many times since it had been given to her and she would always treasure it. Opening the cover, she took a deep breath at the inscription on the first page.

'_To my beloved Dís,_

_Jewel of Erebor and love of my life,_

_May your days be as full of wonder_

_As you have made each day of mine_

_All my love-'_

Her eyes blurred before she could read the name and she flipped the page as she blinked quickly to clear them. The book had been one of the first things her husband had given her. He had always been surprising her with gifts, but he had never wanted them in return. He had said that Dís and the boys were more than enough for him. She just wished they had all had more time together, but she knew it would never have been enough.

"Can't change the past," she said softly. "No use in wishing for it."

Settling back, she began reading. It didn't matter that she had read the story countless times before. Every time she opened the cover, it was like the first time and she felt close to her husband again.

Minutes flew past as she read, the occasional giggle from the main room filtering into her chambers and making her smile. Even with the sadness that had touched their young lives her sons were still so full of life. As they should be. She had sworn to herself when they had buried their father that she would keep them safe from everything the world threw at them. Eventually they would be old enough to protect themselves, but for now, she would keep her boys innocent.

Reaching the middle of the book, she slipped a marker between the pages and closed her eyes. Sometimes it wasn't so much the story that she loved, but the memoires the book evoked. She had spent many nights of both of her pregnancies sitting in front of the fire with this book. A few times her brother had joined her, his large palm on her stomach as the baby had kicked at him. But more often that no, it had been their father with her, his hands on her as he knelt at her feet. She hadn't read much when he had been there, though, more interested in the fantastic stories he had been telling his unborn son.

She smiled as she remembered how he would sit Fíli on his knee and talk to Kíli. Those stories had been fully of laughter as the tot had tugged on his papa's braids when he thought he'd been ignored long enough. Sometimes, Fíli would pat her stomach and demand his brother be born now so they could play.

Jerking when she heard giggling, she blinked and looked around. Neither boy was in her room so they must have still been painting. But her book had slid from her grasp and she was curled into her pillow. She had fallen asleep and Mahal only knew how long it had been for.

She hopped off the bed, twitching her skirts into order and pulling her hair up into the simple bun it had fallen out of. Leaving her room, she followed the giggles into the main room. At least they had stayed put. Her lips pursed into a hard line as she heard snores filling the room. So it was a miracle they were even still in the house.

"Mama!"

Looking at Kíli, she bit back a sigh and pressed a hand to her head. Thorin had changed both boys out of their dirty clothes before painting but it had been for naught. He was covered in paint, bright splotches on his face and exposed forearms. The colours marked his clothes and even his hair. And he wasn't the only thing that had been painted that shouldn't have been. Broad streaks filled the spaces between the pages he was supposed to paint on, marking the floor she had just cleaned this morning. Not only would it have to be washed again, but Kíli would have to have another bath to get that paint out.

"Look, Mama!" he said happily, holding up a paper for her to look at.

She forced down her irritation, not wanting to Kíli to think she was mad at him when she was irritated with her brother for falling asleep. Smiling, she took in the messy picture, but she had no idea what it was supposed to be. "That's wonderful, Kíli."

He giggled, lowering the page so she could see his grin. "Show yours, Fíli!"

Dís looked at her older son and she wasn't surprised to find he was completely clean. A small laugh left her as he held up his drawing and knew the stony face painted was Thorin. "Very good, Fíli," she murmured, trying not to laugh further.

"Kíli drew Uncle too," he said as Kíli nodded energetically.

Brows drawing together, she glanced at the painting again. There were swirls and lines marking the round face on the page, bright bursts of colour that certainly didn't belong to the dwarf she knew. "But your uncle doesn't have all of those-" She clamped her mouth shut when she glanced at her brother, asleep on a couch, and it took all of her control not to burst out laughing.

"We both painted Unka!" Kíli said proudly, waving his picture.

All of the marks Kíli had added to his drawing were present on his uncle's face. Somehow her sons had managed to paint their uncle without waking him, meaning he had been exhausted to begin with and never should have watched over the boys play time.

"Mama?" Fíli asked hesitantly when she didn't say or do anything.

She knew she should scold them because this wasn't something they should do. But the words wouldn't just come. Laughter bubbled out of her and it made her sons grin and her brother jerk awake. "Very nice, boys," she managed to say around her laughs.

"What's very nice?" Thorin rumbled.

As her boys rushed over to show him their pictures all she could think was that Thorin deserved it. If he was going to fall asleep when he was supposed to be watching his nephews he deserved what had happened and she wasn't going to let him yell at them when he discovered what they had done. Besides, he would have to have a bath as well and he could deal with Kíli as further punishment for falling asleep.

* * *

A/N: I'm so SORRY it took me so long to update this! Originally this was supposed to be a small filler to tide you over until the real chapter (which is being a pain in the ass!) was finished but it kind of took on a life of its own and became...this. I was really inspired by a drawing of Fili and Kili when they were little done by kaciart over on tumblr for this chapter (the site keeps eating the link so if you want it just pm me or say so in the review and by god I'll get you to it!). She's an amazing artist and I thought that kind of situation would work well in this story. Then this beast grew out of it. So yes, new chapter! Hope you enjoyed and hopefully I can get the next one out soon and not bury it under the other stories I want to write...


	8. Misunderstanding

_Note: Fíli: 21 years old (roughly 7); Kíli: 16 years old (roughly 5)_

Sitting before the fire, Thorin slowly smoked his pipe and watched as the flames licked at the wood. The fire wasn't truly necessary, not with spring giving way to summer, but it was always cooler in the mountain city. And, oddly enough, he found it soothing.

It was easy to get lost in the flickering light, watching tendrils writhe and curl around the logs. Between it and the pipeweed, he could forget about everything for a while. It wasn't a hobby he engaged in often and it was one of the only times he got to truly relax. But eventually the flames would remind him of what he had lost.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he fought against the surge of anger that filled him. His eyes closed to block out the flames, but his mind showed him the dragon fire that haunted his nightmares. It ripped over the kingdom, burning Dale to ash. The pines blazed on the mountain before Erebor's halls flooded with red. Too many were caught in the path of the dragon's fire and he couldn't find his grandfather. Smaug was making his way to the vault! Was Thrór once again there, blind to all that was happening? His father had been with him at the doors, but he had disappeared when they had broken. Mahal! Where were Frerin and Dís?! He had sent his brother to get their sister, but had he been caught in the flames? Or had his reckless baby sister ran headlong out of her rooms when she heard the alarm?

He couldn't lose them! Every one of them was precious to him and if the dragon stole any of them-

"Uncle?"

Jerking at the voice, he opened his eyes to see another precious dwarf he couldn't lose standing before him. "Fíli," he said quietly, his voice hoarse with emotion.

His clever sister-son frowned up at him. "Are you well, Uncle?" he asked. "Are you getting ill?"

A small smile twitched his lips and he shook his head. "No, Fíli. I'm fine. What is it? Where is your brother?" he asked, noticing his other nephew was not there.

Blue eyes rolled as he huffed out a breath. "He's being stubborn."

Nothing new there. With every year that passed, Kíli inherited more and more of the Durin stubbornness. He was even beginning to butt wills with his uncle, even though it never ended well. "What is it this time?"

Fíli chewed on his lip and nervously tugged on one of his braids.

Thorin's stomach dropped. It was never a good thing when Fíli acted like this. It usually meant the boys had had some kind of spat that saw them divided. And while united they were mischievous imps, when they had a row it was a living nightmare for all around them. "Fíli, tell me what happened. I won't be mad."

His eyes widened. "I didn't do anything!" he protested.

Thorin simply looked at him, not believing him yet. He'd seen this often enough to know better.

"I didn't!" he insisted, young voice high. "But he won't talk to me!"

Frowning, Thorin asked, "Why not?"

"I don't know," Fíli said anxiously. "We were playing just fine and then he went quiet. I didn't hit him or nothing, but he got all sad."

This wasn't normal. "Where is he?"

"Under his bed. I tried to get him to come out, but he won't. He won't move or say anything to me, Uncle."

Clamping his pipe between his teeth, he pushed out of the chair. "I'll talk to him," Thorin said, patting his head. "Wait out here for a bit."

Fíli nodded, climbing up into the chair and hugging one of the cushions to his chest.

Moving down the hallway, Thorin wondered what had set his younger sister-son off this time. Fíli had said he hadn't hurt Kíli and he was inclined to believe him. He was too distraught to continue the lie.

As he pushed the door to the boys' shared room open, he heard quiet sniffles. Apparently the dwarfling had worked himself up. "Kíli?" he called, crossing the room to the small bed.

The sniffles stopped abruptly at his approach.

Knowing the dwarfling was pressed against the wall, he sat on the edge of the bed. "Fíli says you won't talk to him."

No answer came, just uneven breathing.

"Did he hurt you?"

"Nuh uh," came Kíli's small reply.

Thorin nodded slowly, puffing on his pipe. Kíli's voice had been soft and teary but pain free. "Will you come out and talk to me?"

There was the sound of boots scrabbling on stone and Thorin knew his nephew was pressed firmer to the wall now. So it was to be like that was it?

Knowing he could lift the bed and haul his nephew out, Thorin let Kíli stay where he was for now. That would be a last resort because if Kíli was already upset that wouldn't help matters. He kept smoking and let his gaze move over the room.

Toy figurines were scattered on the floor, dropped haphazardly as they were abandoned in play. A chest across the room was open, more toys inside that were waiting to be played with. Tapestries hung on the walls, some with family crests on them, others with story time battles to delight little dwarflings. Fíli's bed was directly across from his brother's, the russet bedding tucked in nicely. The bed he sat on was made as well, but hastily and with the impatience inherent in the younger brother.

"Kíli," Thorin sighed as the minutes wore on. "You can't stay under there forever. What's wrong?"

"Am I a bad dwarf?"

Thorin froze at the soft question, unsure if he'd actually heard it. "Kíli?"

A loud sniff came as the dwarfling probably wiped his face with his sleeve. "Am I a bad dwarf?" he repeated.

Thorin tried to think of why Kíli would even consider something so absurd. He and his brother tested their uncle's patience on a daily basis, yes. And it was true they got into trouble whenever their feet were under them. But despite their faults, he would never change them and they were definitely not bad dwarves. "No, Kíli, you aren't a bad dwarf."

He sniffed again. "Promise?"

"Promise."

Kíli fell silent and stayed under the bed.

"Lad," Thorin prompted, "did someone say you were a bad dwarf?"

"No," he mumbled.

"Then why would you think such a thing?" Because where else would Kíli get that idea except from another? When he got the truth from his nephew, there would be no mercy in Thorin for the dwarf that had put that nonsense in Kíli's head.

Kíli mumbled something.

"I can't hear you, lad."

"I'm breaking," he said in a quavering voice.

Thorin's heart slammed into his throat and he barely kept himself from leaping up to overturn the bed. Taking several calming breaths, he struggled to stay calm as he said, "What do you mean?"

A loud sniff came. "When something's made bad it breaks apart."

Thorin had said those words, but they had been to Fíli and regarding things made in the forge. He was still too young to work the anvil, but he was big enough to help and to learn. Of course, Fíli had told his brother the lesson, hoping to soothe the jealously that ate at Kíli for being left out. But he had misunderstood it. "Kíli, you weren't made badly," he sighed. "Your mother and father made you special."

"Then why am I breaking?"

It was a childish wail that made his heart pound and his fear soar. "Come out there, Kíli," he said softly. "Let me see you."

More sniffles, but Thorin heard the gentle sound of cloth against stone as Kíli wiggled out.

It took all of his self-discipline not to haul Kíli out as soon as the messy head of dark hair came into view. His eyes darted over the sturdy body, searching for some sign of what had broken. But it was his heart that cracked when he saw Kíli wouldn't quite meet his eyes and the brown ones were red with trying not to cry.

Setting aside his pipe, he scooped his sister-son up. He wanted to crush Kíli to him, but until he knew what was hurt he held himself back. "Listen to me, lad," he murmured in Kíli's ear as little arms wrapped around his neck. "You and your brother are special, not just to me and your mother, but to all of our people. I don't want you to ever think that you're bad again."

"Okay," he whispered.

"If you're scared or upset, you can always talk to me or your mother. Or your brother," he added, knowing Fíli was a more logical choice for the dwarfling. "We all love you very much and don't want to see you hurting. But we can't help you if you don't talk to us."

Kíli sniffed and Thorin felt tears strike his neck as he nodded.

Keeping the dwarfling in his arms, he rubbed his back and hummed softly to calm him. His nephew was trembling against him, tears finally winning the battle. Thorin lost track of time as he comforted his sister-son, rocking him gently even as he covertly searched for some injury. He couldn't feel any damage, but he knew first hand that not all injuries bruised and bled.

When the dwarfling pulled back to rub his eyes with clenched fists, Thorin set him on his feet in front of him. "Now," he said, letting his voice harden a little, "what was this all about, Kíli?"

He pursed his lips, shifting on his feet.

Thorin waited, staring down at him.

Brown eyes peeked up at him and Kíli shyly held up his hand.

As those little fingers uncurled, Thorin's eyes slid shut and he fought a groan. Of all the things this could have been about, he never would have considered this. "When did it come out?" he asked, keeping his voice even.

"Earlier with Fíli."

Opening his eyes, Thorin stared at the small tooth that had sparked his nephew's fears. "How long has it been loose?"

"A while," he mumbled.

Well, that explained why Kíli had been having issues eating lately. "Why didn't you mention it sooner?"

"Scared."

Of being a bad dwarf. Thorin sighed. "Kíli, you can't keep these things to yourself. We can't help you if you don't tell us what's wrong."

Kíli nodded shyly.

Tapping his chin, Thorin waited for brown eyes to meet his. "And you aren't breaking, Kíli," he murmured.

Dark brows came together. "But my tooth!"

Thorin finally smiled. "It's supposed to come out," he said patiently. "All of them will."

Kíli stared at him in horror. "I'm not going to have any teeth?!"

He laughed before he could help it. "No, no, Kíli. New teeth will come in. When one falls out, a new one is ready to come in."

His nephew frowned as he thought about that. "I don't like that, Uncle," he said firmly.

Of course he didn't. "Well, you can't stop it, Kíli."

His face scrunched up as he looked down at the tooth in his hand. Before he could say anything else, the door creaked open.

Looking up, Thorin saw Fíli's blond head peek into the room and his face lit up when he saw his brother. "Kee!" he yelled, running into the room.

Thorin watched as the brothers collided in a hug before Kíli pushed back and thrust out his hand. "Uncle said I'm going to lose all of them!" he said petulantly.

Fíli blinked, looking down. "You lost a tooth?"

Kíli nodded before opening his mouth to point at the spot where the tooth had been as if the proof in his hand wasn't enough.

"You'll get a tooth fee now!" Fíli said excitedly.

His brother frowned at him, not understanding.

"Mum says that when a dwarf loses his first tooth, a sprite will come in the night to look at it. If you've taken good care of it, the sprite will trade you the tooth for a present!"

Thorin bit down on a groan. Yes, the 'sprite' normally did, but usually the dwarfling let his family know the tooth was loose so there was time to prepare. He was also surprised Kíli didn't remember when this had happened to Fíli. He had been upset enough when they had woken and his brother had had a toy but he didn't. Maybe Dís had known and was ready for this because Thorin wasn't.

Kíli frowned at his tooth. "What's a sprite?" he demanded.

Fíli blinked and looked to his uncle for help at the unexpected question.

"Like an elf," Thorin said simply, wondering why of all things Dís had said sprite. There were other names she could have used. "But very small."

"Why's a tiny elf want my teeth?!" Kíli asked, his expression horrified again.

Thorin fumbled mentally. Had any dwarfling gotten focused on the tooth taker and not the toy before? Trust his nephew to do something differently.

"Uncle?" Fíli asked hesitantly.

What was he supposed to say? "I'm not sure, lads. I'm not a tiny elf."

Fíli snickered but Kíli's cheeks puffed up. "Do I have to give it to the sprite?"

"Ah, no, but the sprite is clever, Kíli. It will find your tooth no matter where you hide it and it'll get mad if you do." Because Dís was _not_ going to want rotting milk teeth stashed throughout her home.

He made a low noise and frowned at the tooth.

"Kíli, don't you want a toy?" Fíli coaxed.

His nose scrunched up before he nodded finally.

"Then you have to put it under your pillow for the sprite."

"Now?"

"Tonight," Fíli giggled. "Before bed and tomorrow you'll have a toy."

A small smile finally curved Kíli's lips.

Thorin watched them for a moment, taking in the way Fíli's excitement slowly got to his brother. It wasn't long before Kíli was wiggling and chattering happily about what kind of toy he might get. It made him glad, but at the same time he really prayed his sister had something for him. "Yes?" he asked when Kíli bounded over to him.

"Fee says I have to keep the tooth safe, but I might lose it before bed time," he said, holding out his hand.

He cocked a brow. "Why do you want me to have it?"

"Because always safe with Uncle!"

Thorin's heart ached at the bright smile on Kíli's face. Pulling a cloth from his pocket, he held it out to his nephew. "I'll keep it safe for you, lad," he promised.

A giggle and bigger smile as Kíli deposited the tooth before rushing over to tackle his brother.

The sight made Thorin smile as both dwarflings toppled to the floor. Closing the cloth around the tooth, he carefully tucked it in his pocket. The way Kíli viewed the world confounded him sometimes. No matter how hard he tried, Thorin rarely understood where his thoughts came from. Normally, it didn't matter, but situations like this could have been avoided if Kíli would just talk to them.

"Uncle?"

"Mm?"

"Play with us?" Fíli asked, Kíli nodding energetically.

He smiled and pushed away from the bed. "What are we playing this time?"

* * *

A/N: This was far too much fun to write. This idea was actually from liaskye's review on the last chapter and I just thought it would be adorable for it to play out like this. Silly Kíli, why must you be so freaking cute! I'm also sorry for the slow updates on this, I'm having a hard time coming up with ideas for chapters so if you have any thoughts or would like to see something feel free to leave it in a review or pm me. But thank you for reading and see you next time!


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